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  • In final yr’s disaster, Lanka cricketers went all out to assist; followers are returning the love

    It’s nearly 1:30 on Friday night time and roughly 25 minutes since Charith Asalanka scored the successful runs in opposition to Pakistan, propelling Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup closing in opposition to India. The presentation ceremony is over and the commentary crew are packing up.

    However, on the spectator stands inside R Premadasa Stadium, nobody is able to go away. As chants of ‘Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka’ proceed to reverberate round, for a lot of, Sunday’s closing in opposition to India can’t come any sooner.

    There is one thing unmistakable that swells in from the stands together with the ‘Papare’ soundtrack, grown from Sinhala Baila music: it’s the sound of individuals falling in love once more with the nationwide cricket staff, the only unifying drive in a rustic that suffered via an financial turmoil in 2022.

    India’s captain Rohit Sharma and different examine the sector earlier than the resume of Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan delays in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Monday, Sept.11, 2023. (AP)

    As far as cricketing achievements go, Sunday’s sport shall be particular for India, who’ve overwhelmed Pakistan and Sri Lanka within the group phases and need to win a multinational match forward of the World Cup closing. But for the Sri Lankans, the Asia cup has gone past mere victory and loss. When the 2 sides meet Sunday, India shall be going through not simply 11 gamers however a packed crowd of Sri Lankans bursting with love and gratitude for his or her nationwide cricket staff.

    “This is our way of returning the favour,” mentioned Dayani, a working girl, who took a time off to rejoice on the stadium.

    “Let us say it is just a thanksgiving. When we were struggling to make ends meet [during the financial crisis], they helped us in every way possible, including providing food materials and ration. We know they didn’t reveal it in public, but we do know these guys should be shoulder-to-shoulder with us.”

    It’s a outstanding flip of occasions.

    Only 4 years in the past, with one cricketing title after one other, together with Sanath Jayasuriya, getting caught in a crackdown on corruption, and the staff’s efficiency plummeting, followers had chosen to remain away. Even the well-known ‘Papare’ band might hardly be noticed throughout matches.

    And with among the present gamers embroiled in disciplinary points (some have been despatched again from abroad excursions, a participant was even arrested in Australia on sexual-harassment expenses) and inflation hitting the pockets exhausting, cricket took a again seat.

    All that appears to be forgotten now.

    “Fans have been amazing in the recent past and the way the guys have performed has attracted more crowds to the game,” mentioned captain Dasun Shanaka. “Especially the youngsters, they have been amazing in the last two years and the record is good so they see that we are fighting in the middle (rather) than (seeing) what the end result is. They are looking to enjoy cricket, apart from their jobs.”

    During the match in opposition to Pakistan, as Maheesh Theekshana hobbled off the sector, he acquired a standing ovation from the group. The cheer got here regardless of Theekshana not having the most effective of the times with the ball and accounting for just one wicket within the match. They maybe remembered the economical disaster final yr when, simply earlier than becoming a member of his IPL staff Chennai Super Kings, Theekshana visited his alma mater St Benedict College in Colombo to assist just a few faculty youngsters.

    During the turmoil, whereas most of their former gamers together with the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralidharan have been vocal supporters of the protestors, the present staff helped by distributing rations, canned fish and even coming to the monetary assist of many.

    “They (fans) want to see these kids Dunith Wellalage and Pathirana and young batsmen like Asalanka, (Pathum) Nissanka, how they chip in and they eagerly wait for these guys to perform, that’s what the difference is,” Shanaka mentioned. “Now everyone wants to come and see what they are doing. Now we are in the Asia Cup final again, and they are expecting us to do something special.”

    The locals have been ready to throng the stadium because the Super 4 fixtures landed in Colombo. However, with the ticket costs prohibitive — even a budget concrete seat value LKR 10,000 (INR 2,500), they stayed away when Sri Lanka confronted Bangladesh the earlier Saturday, a contest that has developed into a giant rivalry in these components.

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    But when the Pakistan Cricket Board – which is internet hosting the occasion in Sri Lanka — woke as much as the empty stands, slashing the costs, the followers started to show up in numbers. Most of the tuk-tuk (because the auto rickshaws are referred to as right here) drivers have been cajoling the journalists to conjure a ticket for them to purchase.

    The few years of issue behind, in Sri Lanka, cricket is starting appears to look promising once more. Having received the T20 Asia Cup final yr, the staff entered this yr’s Asia Cup as underdogs and, regardless of the absence of 4 of their first-four bowlers on account of accidents, are actually ready to grab their second in opposition to top-dogs India.

    The Papare band is prepared. The individuals are prepared. The love is actual.

  • From driving tongawala’s horse to Asian Games, how equestrian Ashish Limaye made the leap

    When the equestrian Ashish Limaye competes on the forthcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, it is going to be the end result of a outstanding journey that began with him choosing up the game whereas driving horses owned by a tongawala (a driver of a horsedrawn cart). It can also be a journey that was halted for just a few years as he pursued engineering and resumed when he started coaching kids to journey horses.

    Limaye — who hails from Pune however has been primarily based in Europe for the previous two years — has certified to compete for India within the equestrian self-discipline often called eventing which assessments horses and riders over a mixture of three occasions: dressage, cross nation and present leaping.

    The Pune resident’s earliest recollections of himself driving a horse was from when he was simply 10 and his dad and mom had taken him to a small place run by a tongawala the place kids could be allowed to journey horses in the course of the summers.

    “They used to have a summer camp of sorts near my house. And they would basically let kids ride horses in a circle at a small ground,” he recollects.

    Limaye has been rubbing his eyes in disbelief after qualifying for the Asian Games, contemplating he switched to eventing from present leaping barely one-and-a-half years in the past.

    Eventing is the place Fouaad Mirza had gained a silver on the final version of the Asian Games in Jakarta, changing into the primary Indian equestrian to win a person Asian Games medal since 1982.

    Unlike Mirza, who hails from an extended line of horsemen, Limaye’s dad and mom have been medical doctors. That camp was sufficient for them to grasp how a lot he liked driving horses. Soon, on the advice of a relative, they took him to Arjuna Awardee Col. JM Khan, who was a distinguished equestrian coach in Pune.

    But quickly, he realised that taking over the game professionally was a prohibitively costly pursuit and determined to concentrate on research as an alternative. For practically 4 years, as he pursued his engineering diploma, Limaye put his ardour on maintain.

    “When I was in Class XII and in four years of engineering college I was barely riding. I was related to the sport all throughout the break, but not competing,” he says.

    By the third 12 months of engineering faculty, that itch to journey caught up as soon as extra.

    “In the third year, I competed at the nationals. It was the only event I competed in that whole year. But once I got my degree, I returned to the sport fully.”

    Limaye’s huge ‘break’ got here when Embassy International Riding School (EIRS), a Bengaluru-based driving establishment, determined to take an opportunity on him.

    “I was competing in India for a long time before they offered me a sponsorship. But as part of it, they wanted to see my work ethics. So they asked me to train kids at their Bengaluru facility. I worked there for two years before I was sent abroad to train,” he says.

    Limaye calls that two-year stint coaching kids certainly one of his finest alternatives. He was coaching about 20 of them on the EIRS facility, they usually went on to compete on the age group degree on the junior nationals.

    “Not only was I at the best equestrian facility in India for civilians, but when I came to riding school, I had around 10 horses there. I could ride on five to 10 horses everyday. Before that, I didn’t really have access to riding on so many horses. To be honest, that stint put me on the map in India,” says Limaye.

    He elaborates: “If you have one horse, you can ride on them for about an hour or so. But if you have 10, your own improvement happens much faster.”

    Seeing his progress, EIRS determined to ship him to Europe to coach as he chased Asian Games qualification. Limaye has spent the final two months in France. Before that, he was primarily based in Germany for 2 years.

    Over the following few months, because the Asian Games come nearer, the largest problem for Limaye will likely be deciding which horse he takes to Hangzhou, since he has made the reduce astride two horses: Dinard Penguinan and Willy Be Dun.

    “I really don’t know at the moment which horse I will take to China. I’m not inclined towards one at the moment. I’ll decide by mid-September. It’s a good position to be in, to have a choice. Every time I have this conversation with my coaches on which horse to take, we inevitably come to the same conclusion that we should wait as long as possible,” he says.

    Both his horses have completely different personalities, says Limaye.

    “Dinard Penguinan is very, very sensitive. He can become really nervous and go into his shell. But, at the same time, he’ll follow everything you ask of him. He doesn’t normally make his own decisions. He’ll follow your decisions with closed eyes. On the other hand, Willy Be Dun has his own personality. He shows off a little more than Dinard. He has his own brain, so you have to be smarter in dealing with him. He’s bolder. But both are very competitive. It will be a difficult situation to choose one for sure,” he chuckles.

  • Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo receives Guinness World Record award, scores late winner for Portugal in European qualifying

    Incredible🙌#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/HJSnnXxOub

    — UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 20, 2023

    The 38-year-old Ronaldo was honored by Guinness World Records earlier than kickoff for reaching 200 video games for Portugal nearly 20 years after he made his debut. And he was celebrating on the finish, too, after being readily available to attain the later winner from shut vary and hold Portugal on observe for Euro 2024 qualification with its fourth win from 4 video games in Group J.

    Erling Haaland scored twice in Norway’s 3-1 win at residence over Cyprus, as did Romelu Lukaku in Belgium’s 3-0 victory over Estonia.

    But one other star ahead – Robert Lewandowski – was left dissatisfied as his Poland workforce squandered a two-goal result in lose 3-2 away to Moldova.

    Euro 2024 host Germany misplaced 2-0 to Colombia in a pleasant sport.

    GROUP J

    Ronaldo padded his document for worldwide objectives as properly, by netting his 123rd for Portugal — making it one other memorable night time for the previous Real Madrid and Manchester United star.

    CERTIFICAT GUINESS RECORD : CRISTIANO RONALDO DEVIENT LE PREMIER JOUEUR DE L’HISTOIRE À AVOIR 200 SÉLECTIONS EN ÉQUIPE NATIONALE pic.twitter.com/XMq0eM6nlY

    — Gio CR7 (@ArobaseGiovanny) June 20, 2023

    “So happy. It’s that kind of moment that you never expect to do it, 200 caps. For me it’s an unbelievable achievement,” Ronaldo advised UEFA’s web site. “Of course, to score the winning goal, it’s even more special.”

    Ronaldo’s teammates Rafael Leão and Bruno Fernandes had appeared extra seemingly prime present a gap in Reykjavik, till Iceland midfielder Willum Willumsson was despatched off with 10 minutes of regular time remaining for a second yellow card.

    Ronaldo had missed a number of probabilities and was booked for diving within the 83rd, earlier than he lastly obtained the winner when Goncalo Inacio headed the ball down for the ahead to attain from shut vary. Even then there was an anxious look ahead to a VAR test earlier than Ronaldo might have a good time in his personal distinctive model.

    CRISTIANO RONALDO LAST MINUTE GOAL AGAINST ICELAND IN EURO QUALIFIERS!!!!!!
    CLUTCH 🐐🐐🐐🐐 pic.twitter.com/utWDGA4d2a

    — Taha (@taharmfc) June 20, 2023

    Also, Luxembourg upset Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 away because of objectives from Danel Sinani and Yvandro Borges Sanches, whereas Slovakia beat Liechtenstein 1-0.

    GROUP A

    Despite Haaland’s objectives for Norway, Scotland stayed prime of Group A with a 2-0 win over Georgia in a sport that was suspended for about 1 hour, 40 minutes due to heavy rain and a waterlogged area.

    Callum McGregor gave hosts an early lead earlier than play was suspended. Scott McTominay made it 2-0 early within the second half regardless of a lot of water nonetheless on the sector.

    It was Scotland’s fourth win from 4 video games and it lifted the workforce 4 factors above Georgia.

    Norway is third with 4 factors from 4 video games, whereas Spain is a degree additional again after taking part in simply two. Spain received the Nations League on Sunday.

    GROUP E

    Lewandowski scored however couldn’t forestall Poland slumping to a loss in Moldova, its second in three video games.

    Albania earned a 3-1 away win over the Faeroe Islands to remain second within the group, one level behind the Czech Republic after three video games performed.

    Poland dropped to second final within the group with three factors.

    GROUP F

    Lukaku scored twice within the area of three minutes to steer Belgium to a 3-0 win in Estonia.

    Lukaku broke the impasse with a flick after an uneventful first half-hour and doubled Belgium’s lead with one other medical end for his seventy fifth purpose in 108 internationals.

    Johan Bakayoko marked his first begin for Belgium by including the third purpose within the ninetieth minute.

    Christoph Baumgartner scored twice for Austria to defeat Sweden 2-0 within the different group sport.

    Austria leads the group with 10 factors from three video games, three factors forward of Belgium.

    GROUP G

    Hungary defeated Lithuania 2-0 and Bulgaria drew with Serbia 1-1.

    It left Hungary prime of the group on seven factors, forward of Serbia on purpose distinction.

  • Women’s World Boxing Championship: India wins 2 golds, eyes set on two extra at the moment

    Moments after being topped world champions, Nitu Ghanghas, 22, ran to India’s nationwide coach Bhaskar Bhatt and wept in his arms; Saweety Boora, 30, pumped her fist on the digicam, referred to as for an Indian flag, and waved it.

    On Saturday, two gold medals have been at stake for India on the Women’s World Boxing Championship right here – Nitu, harbouring hopes of glory on the Paris Olympics, and Saweety, a veteran of many battles. Both didn’t disappoint, setting the stage for Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain on Sunday to finish the gold rush.

    Nitu defeated Mongolia’s  Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg within the 48-kg closing in a 5-0 unanimous resolution, whereas Saweety (81 kg) defeated China’s Wang Lina with a 4-3 cut up resolution.

    If India wins in each the classes on Sunday, it should equal its 2006 haul, when M C Mary Kom spearheaded the staff to its greatest-ever ladies’s boxing second. That staff additionally received three silver medals.

    In Mary Kom’s class of 48 kg, the place she received six world championships up to now, Nitu, from Dhanana village in Bhiwani, has emerged as the brand new champion.

    “This medal means so much to me. I worked very hard for it. I’ve been boxing since 2012 and my family support through this time means a lot to me,” mentioned Nitu after the medal ceremony. “My entire village has been supportive of my career from the very beginning. They have been praying for me since the time I went to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Many from my village came to watch me today,” she mentioned.

    Nitu now provides the senior World Championship medal to 2 Youth World Championship golds (2015, 2017) in addition to a Commonwealth Games gold (2022). She skilled on the Bhiwani Boxing Club, the identical centre as Beijing Olympics bronze medal winner Vijender Singh, who watched from the stands on Saturday.

    Nitu’s preliminary days have been tough, as she watched fellow contestants, together with World Championship teammate Sakshi Chaudhary, climb up the ranks and win medals. Then a bronze on the 2016 Youth Nationals was adopted by a range for the 2017 Youth World Championships nationwide camp. She has not appeared again since then.

    “It’s going to become easier for me to train. My family’s financial problems are now taken care of. I can focus completely on training now,” mentioned Nitu. Her father, Jai Bhagwan, took loans and offered his automobile to fund his daughter’s boxing desires.

    The different gold winner of the day, Saweety, additionally from Haryana, has had an extended profession. At 30, that is her second World Championship medal, after profitable a silver in 2014. For the previous few years, she was within the 75-kg class, the place she didn’t win medals. But shifting again to the 81-kg class has received her a second Worlds medal.

    Earlier a state-level Kabaddi participant, the Hisar resident turned to boxing on the insistence of her father. Her sister, Siwi Boora, can be a boxer; her husband, Deepak Hooda, is a Pro Kabaddi League participant.

    For Saweety, the added motivation was that she was by no means actually thought of for Olympic classes within the Indian system. Her mild heavyweight class shouldn’t be part of the 2024 Paris Olympics programme, however her household hopes that this gold will assist her qualify within the 75-kg class.

    “I am thrilled after fulfilling my dream of becoming the world champion,” mentioned Saweety.

  • Cricket historical past in India as we speak: Women’s Premier League begins

    AS THE inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) kicks off in Mumbai on Saturday, with the Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians enjoying the primary match, it heralds new beginnings for a lot of.

    For Delhi Capitals’ top-order batswoman Sneha Deepthi, a mom of a two-year-old at 26, it’s a chance to return to skilled sport. Then there may be Royal Challengers Bangalore’s batswoman Poonam Khemnar, 28, who remembers the opposition she confronted from her dad and mom for pursuing cricket.

    There can be Australia legend and Delhi Capitals’ captain Meg Lanning, 32, who moved away from the sport after guiding her aspect to the Commonwealth Games gold medal victory in August final 12 months. She spent her time travelling and even labored in a restaurant “making coffee and washing dishes”. She led Australia to the ladies’s T20 World title final month — her fifth World Cup triumph, 4 in T20s and one in ODIs.

    England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, 30, who lately took a break to “focus on her mental health and well-being” will play for the Mumbai Indians. She returned from her break as England’s vice-captain for the T20 World Cup and completed because the second-highest run-getter within the match.

    These ladies are among the many near 100 Indian and international gamers representing 5 franchise groups, with a mixed web value of Rs 4,670 crore, in an IPL-like league that has a Rs 951 crore broadcasting deal.

    India and Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur predicted that the WPL, from March 4 to March 26, would change lives and likewise elevate the usual of the sport within the nation. “We are also going to get some good talent and I’m sure the difference between India and Australia sides will narrow down,” stated Kaur, who performed a heroic knock in India’s slim semi-final loss to Australia within the World T20 final month.

    “We have been pushing the doors for a very long time… WPL will change a lot for women’s cricket. You will find many superstars coming out of it,” stated Delhi Capitals’ predominant batswoman Jemimah Rodrigues, one of many 10 Indian ladies with a crore-plus offers.

    There have been a number of dad and mom who helped push the doorways too. In Haryana’s Rohtak, Shafali Verma’s dad and mom chopped off her hair in order that she might move off as a boy and play native tournaments. Shafali went on to turn into the youngest participant, male or feminine, to play for India. It was below her captaincy that India received the inaugural U-19 Women’s World Cup.

    At Delhi Capitals, Shafali’s opening companion could also be Sneha, who made her India debut in 2013 alongside Smriti Mandhana, the league’s prime earner and RCB skipper. Sneha’s cricketing profession didn’t fairly take off, and she or he received married at 22. She has now made a profitable return to the home circuit, bagged a WPL contract value Rs 30 lakh, and desires to don India colors once more.

    In an emotional video posted on the Delhi Capitals’ web site, Sneha talks in regards to the anxiousness of leaving her daughter at dwelling. “She started crying when I was leaving. I wondered whether I should go at all. It was very difficult for me, but my husband told me to go ahead… Minutes after entering my hotel room, I called my husband to ask about her… In Telugu, she said, ‘baaga aadu’, which means ‘play well there’,” she says within the video clip.

    For some gamers, the WPL is a time for remembering – and lacking – their family members who’re now not with them. “I can’t repeat how much I miss him,” stated Gujarat Giants’ vice-captain, Sneh Rana, 29, about her late father, at the same time as she talked about how excited her household was for her.

    Her India teammate and UP Warriorz all-rounder Devika Vaidya stated she had determined to surrender the game on the age of 21, when she misplaced her mom in 2019. The Covid-19 lockdown made her rethink her future. “I realised my mom is always there — whether I am playing, not playing, crying, laughing, winning matches – she is always there with me. Now that I have accepted that fact, it is easy for me to deal with it,” she stated.

    Another India participant, Renuka Singh Thakur, who’s with Royal Challengers Bangalore, has a tattoo of a father enjoying along with his daughter, which she inked in reminiscence of her father, Kehar Singh Thakur, who died in 1999. “I inked that tattoo with the first paycheck I received from cricket. I have missed him in every step of my life, be it my first day at school, my first state match, my international debut,” she stated.

  • Off the rails: PSG defends use of flights slightly than trains

    Paris Saint-Germain has defended its use of chartered flights slightly than extra ecological trains after an government for France’s high-speed rail community known as out the membership for flying its gamers on a short-haul to Nantes this previous weekend.

    Paris-Nantes est en moins de 2 heures en @TGVINOUI. @PSG_inside, je re-re-renouvelle notre proposition d’offre #TGV adaptée à vos besoins spécifiques, pour nos intérêts communs : sécurité, rapidité, providers et eco mobilité 🌎 🙂 https://t.co/FJCW6M7Mwe

    — Alain Krakovitch (@alainkrakovitch) September 4, 2022

    Alain Krakovitch, the director of the French rail firm’s TGV-Intercity service, famous in a tweet that the community’s high-speed trains can journey the roughly 380 kilometers (240 miles) from Paris to the western metropolis in just below two hours. He retweeted video apparently posted by a PSG participant of workforce members aboard a flight to the Ligue 1 match on Saturday night time. Paris beat Nantes 3-0. Addressing PSG, Krakovitch wrote: “I re-re-renew our proposition of a TGV offer adapted to your specific needs.”

    In response to questions from The Associated Press, PSG mentioned there weren’t late-night TGV trains it might have taken again to Paris after the match, which might have pressured the workforce to spend the night time in Nantes had it wished to experience the rails again to the French capital the following morning.

    A membership spokesman mentioned PSG is “not at all closed to the idea of taking the train if all the conditions are met” and that it has had talks with the French rail firm SNCF. But the membership mentioned chartered flights are extra versatile and that it additionally has to contemplate gamers’ and public security when taking public transport. The spokesman mentioned the workforce is making growing use of buses for brief journeys

    Krakovitch’s tweet, which caught the eye of French media, comes because the French authorities is urging corporations, households and different customers to avoid wasting vitality amid a concern of shortages stemming from tensions with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

  • All eyes on India-Pak match at the moment: ‘Hype outside, all normal inside’

    THE FIRST query to Pakistan captain Babar Azam on the press convention forward of the India-Pakistan encounter on Sunday was seemingly innocent: “Dubai mein garmi zyada hain kya (Is it very hot in Dubai)?”

    Babar promptly replied: “Garmi toh hain (It is hot)”. He then paused, seeming to understand the loaded undertone of the query, and stated with a smile: “Hum zyada garmi nahin lete hain (We don’t feel the heat too much)”. He was referring to the inevitable “more-than-just-a-game” narrative drummed up each time India and Pakistan duel, restricted to multi-team tournaments as of late.

    Often up to now, the pre-match press convention can be intense, and typically, tense affairs. Captains would stride in with a way of urgency, weighing every query and measuring every reply. But Babar was as relaxed as when he bats within the center.

    As was his Indian counterpart Rohit Sharma, who too was probed in regards to the acquainted narrative. “It’s the question that every India captain has been asked before every match against Pakistan for years. What can I say? Bahar se hype, andar se sab normal (Hype from outside, all normal inside),” Sharma stated.

    These are much less fractious days between the 2 groups. The build-up to the India-Pakistan sport, the primary after their World T20 fixture on the similar venue, was one among bonhomie and camaraderie. Babar and Virat Kohli had been noticed exchanging handshakes and pleasantries the opposite day. Just a few months in the past, Babar had tweeted help for Kohli who’s going by a very prolonged lean patch.

    Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, who missed the match due an harm, had greeted Kolhi and instructed him: “Aapke liye dua kar rahe hai wapas form mein aaye. Dekhna chahte hai aapko. (I am praying that you regain your form. I want to see you play well).”

    Kohli’s battle to make massive runs has been a speaking level earlier than this conflict. Kohli additionally spoke to the official broadcaster Star Sports about how the prolonged lack of type affected his psychological well being. “For the first time in 10 years, I didn’t touch my bat for a month (before the Asia Cup). I came to the realisation that I was trying to fake my intensity a bit recently,” he stated.

    At the nets, a number of Indian and Pakistan gamers had been seen and video-graphed chatting and greeting.

    Most gamers from most international locations share a bond as of late, after the worldwide cricket village that the IPL is – however these usually are not bonds solid within the IPL, as Pakistani gamers are prohibited from taking part in within the league, a reminder that geopolitical tensions are nonetheless simmering between the 2 international locations and any hopes of them that includes in a full-fledged collection appears distant.

    “We are cricketers, and we greet and talk to each other, be it players from Pakistan or some other country. It is all normal,” stated Sharma.

    Babar stated the identical: “As a sportsman, you try to meet different players. We have met everyone, it is normal. You try and talk to players about cricket and other things.”

    Though the “badla (revenge)” for the World Cup defeat cropped up, Sharma performed it down: “Of course, that loss hurts, but it’s not like we are thinking about it all the time.”

    Even the build-up to this sport was quiet. Just a handful of supporters turned up for the nets on the ICC Academy underneath the scorching afternoon solar, although it was a vacation – and the gamers unhurriedly granted their needs for selfies. Sharma was even requested what he felt when a Pakistani little one sought {a photograph} with him, and he replied: “Unusual for you, usual for us.”

    There had been no banners or placards or frenzied flag-waving or shouting names, no stampede on the turnstile to catch a glimpse of the cricketers, no swarming of the workforce buses, or competitors between the followers of each international locations to indicate who’s louder. The few who had assembled had been merrily chatting, not even cricket.

    The scene will change on Sunday – the tickets have been lengthy offered out, and for individuals who didn’t get one, a number of eating places and buying malls have organized live-streaming of their premises. The ambiance can be as electrifying as any India-Pakistan match has been and maybe can be. The rivalry has not misplaced its edge, although a few of the warmth might have been doused.

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    It might be as a result of the match-ups between the international locations come so few and much between – within the final 5 years, they’ve met simply thrice – that each event is one thing of an opportunity of a lifetime, and never spoiled by scuffles or troubled historical past between the international locations.

    This is a special era of gamers too, few who wish to commerce punches in the course of a sport. You wouldn’t anticipate somebody monkey-jumping like Javed Miandad within the 1992 World Cup tie, or somebody like Kiran More giving again in sort. Or the Aamir Sohail-Venkatesh Prasad episode. Not simply that the modern-day gamers wish to keep away from hefty fines, however they’re hardwired otherwise, educated to consider the sport as only a sport.

    So is the gang. You wouldn’t anticipate gamers to be pelted with stones, as they had been in Karachi in 1997, or one lakh followers evicted from the stands on the Eden Gardens in 1999 over an umpiring choice, or followers staging political protests outdoors the Edgbaston. Such incidents have solely added extra warmth and fireplace in probably the most heated rivalry in world cricket, extra hues into a vibrant rivalry, spun myths and folklore, sunk and risen careers. But maybe not this Sunday in Dubai.

  • Banana invoice of Rs 35 lakh, ‘death threats’: Uttarakhand cricket below cloud

    OVER Rs 1.74 CRORE for meals and catering, together with Rs 35 lakh for bananas; Rs 49.5 lakh in each day allowances; Rs 11 crore spent in the course of the Covid lockdown; non-payment of gamers’ dues; dodgy choice insurance policies. And then, extortion and demise threats.

    The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) is in the midst of a storm of allegations, starting from monetary impropriety to intimidation of gamers.

    So a lot in order that CAU secretary Mahim Verma, the workforce’s head coach Manish Jha and the affiliation spokesperson Sanjay Gusain had been questioned by the Uttarakhand Police after they had been named in an FIR by the daddy of a former India Under-19 cricketer for alleged extortion and demise threats.

    “For the past three days, we have called Mahim Verma, Manish Jha and Sanjay Gusain separately. We have interrogated them. We have taken their statements,” Janmejaya Khanduri, SSP Dehradun, advised The Indian Express. “If needed, it will be done again.”

    The FIR, registered at Vasant Vihar police station in Dehradun, has been filed below IPC sections for prison conspiracy (120B), voluntarily inflicting harm (323), extortion (384), intentional insult (504) and prison intimidation (506).

    The complainant Virendra Sethi, who’s the daddy of former Under-19 participant Arya Sethi, has alleged that his son was given demise threats by Jha, workforce supervisor Navneet Mishra and video analyst Piyush Raghuvanshi in the course of the Vijay Hazare match final yr.

    According to information reviewed by The Indian Express and interviews with gamers, that is simply the most recent chapter in Uttarakhand cricket’s troubled innings.

    The gamers level to non-payment or under-payment of dues (Rs 100 paid as DA when the mandated quantity is Rs 1,500) and never being supplied meals throughout tournaments and coaching camps — the affiliation’s books record bills totalling a number of lakhs of rupees on gadgets corresponding to bananas and water bottles, even in the course of the pandemic.

    The CAU’s audit report of March 31, 2020, has listed Rs 1,74,07,346 for meals and catering and Rs 49,58,750 for each day allowances. This contains Rs 35 lakh for bananas and Rs 22 lakh for water bottles.

    Robin Bisht, an outstation skilled for the Uttarakhand workforce, corroborated Sethi’s allegations, and recalled an incident earlier than the latest Ranji Trophy quarterfinal towards Mumbai.

    “We returned to the team hotel and, after our recovery session in the pool, went for lunch. The hotel staff said they were told not to serve us food. When we called the team manager, he replied: ‘Order something from Swiggy or Zomato or stay hungry. Ek din khana nahi khaoge toh mar nahi jaoge (If you don’t eat for a day, you won’t die)’,” stated Bisht.

    Uttarakhand misplaced the match to Mumbai by 725 runs — a world report victory margin in cricket.

    “Next day, we had a flight to Delhi. After exiting the airport, we again called up our team manager to say that we needed to go to Dehradun. ‘Where is our bus?’ The reply came, ‘book a cab, bus or train. Our job was to get you guys to Delhi, not your homes’,” stated Bisht.

    Allegations of corruption have additionally been levelled towards CAU by Independent MLA Umesh Kumar within the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.

    “During Covid, CAU distributed Rs 6.5 crore as professional fees. I want to know to whom they paid this money? Before March 2020, the professional fees were around Rs 2.75 crore. During Covid, who had lunch and dinner of Rs 1.27 crore? How did they hire cricketing coaches? I raised this in Uttarakhand Sadan too. I think the BCCI should intervene; there is very big corruption going on here,” Kumar advised The Indian Express.

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    “During lockdown when everything was shut, they invested Rs 11 crore, and under full operation, you are investing Rs 12 crore,” Kumar stated.

    The gamers, in the meantime, complained of being paid a lot decrease than what the BCCI laws stipulate. “Our official DA is Rs 1,500, we were getting Rs 100 per day. We got Rs 2,700 for 27 days; an unskilled labourer earned more than us,” stated Bisht.

    MLA Kumar stated he has introduced the matter to the state authorities’s discover. “Me and 12 other MLAs have written to the Chief Minister, and if need be, we will go to the Supreme Court. The Lodha Committee was appointed by the Supreme Court, and ‘Mr Verma and Company’ are not following the court’s regulations,” Kumar stated.

    In his police grievance, Sethi alleged that Verma demanded Rs 10 lakh for together with his son within the state workforce.

    These allegations come after former India opener Wasim Jaffer needed to go away his publish as head coach after allegations of “communalising” the dressing room — prices that Jaffer strongly denied.

    CAU secretary Mahim Verma and president Jot Singh Gansola additionally face a grievance from their very own affiliation’s vice-president Sanjay Rawat and joint secretary Avnish Verma earlier than the state cricket physique’s Ombudsman and Ethics Officer, alleging monetary irregularities. “We have sent a letter to the BCCI as well. The Ethics officer has told Mahim Verma and Jot Singh Gansola to submit their response by Thursday,” stated Rawat.

    Speaking to The Indian Express, a prime BCCI official stated: “Right now, it is a matter related to a state association. In case it is raised at the BCCI’s apex council meeting on July 21, we will look into it.”

    Mahim Verma and head coach Manish Jha didn’t reply to calls from The Indian Express in search of touch upon the allegations towards them.

  • Inflated journey charges, few rooms: Ahead of Qatar kickoff, soccer followers’ choices restricted

    Football followers have a status of going to excessive lengths to assist their groups. But, even by their requirements, planning journey for this 12 months’s World Cup in Qatar has turned out to be an unprecedented journey.

    Flight charges which are two or thrice greater than normal, resort rooms that may run into a whole lot of {dollars} per night time, and the prospect of constructing the UAE their base to make journeys to-and-fro between the 2 international locations for matches — what has been projected because the “most accessible” World Cup is popping right into a logistical nightmare for followers.

    Qatar’s distinctive attraction as a number nation — all eight stadiums are located in and round Doha, the capital, inside an hour of journey — has contributed to the sale of 1.8 million tickets as of June 29, with the ultimate gross sales interval commencing on July 5. And though India didn’t come remotely near qualifying for the November 21-December 18 event, the nation is among the many top-10 patrons of tickets.

    “In 2018, Moscow had just two stadiums and still, there were nights when the entire city was sold out,” says Akarsh Sharma, a enterprise government from Gurgaon who had travelled to Russia to look at the World Cup. “Here, we are talking about a country smaller than Delhi-NCR that will host the entire tournament.”

    Sharma spent Rs 1.3 lakh on a collection of tickets which is able to give him entry to seven matches throughout all rounds, from the group stage to the ultimate. But he’s but to zero down on an lodging. And he isn’t the one one.

    With the skewed demand-supply ratio, mixed with the truth that 80 per cent of the entire lodging stock is being offered by way of a centralised system operated by the organising committee, discovering a spot to remain is neither simple nor inexpensive.

    In December, AP information company reported that the organisers secured a bulk of the rooms for the gamers and officers of the 32 groups, representatives from world soccer’s governing physique FIFA, the event’s sponsors and worldwide media.

    That’s left the abroad followers with very restricted choices. In a press release to The Indian Express, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy – in command of organising the World Cup – mentioned “the host country will deliver up to 1,30,000 rooms, which equates to 3.6 million room nights, for the one million-plus fans expected to travel for the tournament”, and added that “more choices will be made available in due course”.

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    The charges per night time for a resort or an residence begin at $80 for 2 individuals and go as much as hundreds of {dollars}, however with the nation falling wanting rooms, the organisers have been compelled to take a look at inventive options.

    So, the luxurious cruise liners docked on the bay have been transformed into accommodations, with cabins for as much as $800 per night time. And tents, beginning at a little bit over $200 per night time, have been pitched within the deserts as tenting choices.

    All bookings made by way of the official platform require a minimal of two nights’ keep. Rooms by way of fashionable resort aggregators are already offered out and homestay choices, by way of web sites like Airbnb, value roughly Rs 1.73 lakh per night time on common.

    The different choice, of staying with a relative or good friend who lives in Qatar, isn’t hassle-free both. The particular person residing in Qatar should register with the organisers and share particulars of their property agreements earlier than permitting visitors through the World Cup.

    Fans, consequently, have needed to take drastic measures. Mohit Daga, who runs an umbrella manufacturing enterprise in Kolkata, says he and his associates plan to remain in Dubai and make six-hour street journeys to Doha for matches. That, nonetheless, relies on visa and different necessities. “That is a more convenient option and also more affordable, given the sharp surge in flight rates,” says the 27-year-old Argentina supporter.

    A cursory look on-line on the flight charges through the World Cup reveals {that a} round-trip from Delhi or Kolkata to Doha will value as much as Rs 1 lakh – almost thrice greater than regular charges.

    The inflated resort and airline charges are only one a part of the price range. As Arnab Chatterjee, a software program advisor primarily based in Dallas, USA, skilled in Russia 4 years in the past, the on-ground bills, too, usually go away a gap within the pocket. “The good thing is the internal travel will be minimum, given the proximity between the venues,” says the 39-year-old. “However, as we experienced in Russia, from food to water, everything is slightly more expensive during events like these.”

    Chatterjee will first journey from Dallas to Kolkata earlier than continuing to Doha together with his brother and 75-year-old father to look at Brazil in motion. He has paid $350 per night time for his or her keep and, mixed with air tickets and different bills, his spending on Qatar 2022 is greater than double what he spent in Russia 4 years in the past.

    “In Russia, for two people I spent Rs 4.5 lakh,” he says. “This time, I think I’ll end up spending close to Rs 10 lakh overall. Why am I doing it? Because, after watching the World Cup in Russia, my father and I decided to go for all the editions, given that it was such a great experience. Also, we missed watching Brazil in 2018, so we wanted to see them play. I wish the logistics were made easier by giving fans more options, rather than having a centralised system.”

    Many followers could really feel they’ll be priced out of what’s the largest single-sport occasion. But the organisers preserve it can stay accessible to all. “Qatar 2022 will indeed be the most accessible FIFA World Cup. All the more so for residents of India. Geographically, this is the closest FIFA World Cup to India — many cities on India’s west coast and near it are within a 3-4 hour flight radius to Doha. And once the fans reach Doha, they don’t have to plan any internal flights due to the compact hosting concept of the World Cup which is played in eight stadiums, the farthest two of which are 75 km apart,” mentioned the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

  • MP toasts its first Ranji title: ‘Moment of a lifetime’

    MADHYA PRADESH captain Aditya Shrivastava was ready for his flip to talk after Mumbai skipper Prithvi Shaw on the post-match presentation of the Ranji Trophy closing. But Shrivastava’s group had walked over to the board studying “Champions”, able to pose for pictures.

    Earlier, in one other glimpse of what this maiden Ranji Trophy crown means to a state fashioned in 1956, Shrivastava was already in his official darkish blue MP blazer as he stood just a few metres from his impatient teammates simply moments after the six-wicket victory over 41-time champions Mumbai.

    “Completely ecstatic,” the 28-year previous captain started when it was his flip to speak to the presenter, Anjum Chopra, the previous India captain.

    “A generation…of time has gone by and MP has won the Ranji Trophy for the first time now. It is the moment of a lifetime for me. The emotions are really deep in the squad, we are trying to laugh it out loud, but we are extremely emotional from inside,” Shrivastava stated.

    MP has produced India gamers resembling Narendra Hirwani, Rajesh Chauhan, Amay Khurasiya, Jai Prakash Yadav, Naman Ojha and the third-highest run-getter in Ranji historical past Devendra Bundela. But the Ranji Trophy had proved elusive, not like the golden interval of the distant previous when part of the area, together with the cricketing nerve centre Indore, was represented by the Holkar group.

    Comprising legends resembling C Ok Nayudu, C S Nayudu, Syed Mushtaq Ali and Chandu Sarwate, Holkar reached the Ranji closing ten instances in 11 seasons from 1944-45 to 1954-55, and received the trophy 4 instances, the final of which got here 69 years in the past in 1952-53.

    On Sunday, having managed to carry on to his emotions throughout the post-match speech, Shrivastava flung apart the mike, accepted the Ranji Trophy, walked over to his group and handed the cup to an overjoyed Akshat Raghuwanshi, the 18-year previous attacking batsman who started with 100 on debut this season and made three essential fifties, two of them within the knockouts.

    Shrivastava and coach Chandrakant Pandit then held up the trophy and kissed it. The heartbreak of 1998-99 on the identical Chinnaswamy Stadium was on then-captain Pandit’s thoughts. That was the one earlier event when MP had reached the ultimate, and had one hand on the title, earlier than squandering a secure place in opposition to hosts Karnataka deep into the final day. “Twenty-three years later, we are back here and we have done it,” Pandit stated.

    The group walked with the trophy in the direction of the stand subsequent to their dressing room the place a few thousand followers stood and cheered from the higher tier. The followers had largely backed MP by means of the 5 days of the match, with their Royal Challengers Bangalore star and MP middle-order batsman Rajat Patidar receiving particular adulation. Shouts of “RCB, RCB” and “Patidar, Patidar” had been a relentless refrain.

    Patidar, who had made a dominant century within the IPL knockouts, did a repeat in opposition to Mumbai within the first innings of the ultimate, and hit the successful runs within the second. Now, he held the trophy over his head and walked to the sting of the boundary, making the followers roar louder.

    The group proceeded to stroll over to the center of the bottom, the place they set the trophy down and soaked within the second for some time. The floor employees and the primary curators assembled close by, and have been quickly joined by the MP gamers and help employees. Coach Pandit addressed the gathering, speaking about how MP had arrived early in Bengaluru in the midst of May with a few weeks to go for the Ranji knockouts, and the way laborious the bottom employees had labored to rearrange nets in order that the group might practise effectively.

    Pandit then turned to his gamers and stated: “Not only have you achieved something historic, but it is also a historic occasion for this ground, as it has hosted its 100th Ranji match. So this day is doubly historic.” Captain Shrivastava then walked over to the curators and handed over a bunch of foreign money notes as a token of the group’s appreciation.

    In the press convention that adopted, Shrivastava spoke in regards to the dedication of his unit throughout preparation and the non-public “sacrifices” that they had made beneath the coach, who is called a tough taskmaster.

    Pandit intervened: “I remember he was supposed to get married last year and asked me, ‘sir, which date should I pick?’ I told him only in June and that too only for two-three days, you will not get time to go on your honeymoon because we had started our preparations.”

    Shrivastava responded: “It has been a year since I got married and I have still not gone on my honeymoon.”

    Pandit went on to name his mixture with Shrivastava the most effective he had had in a protracted profession — this was his sixth Ranji title as a coach.

    “I have worked with many associations and have handled many captains,” Pandit stated. “But the rapport that Aditya and I have is entirely different. He is the only captain who has spent hours and hours in my room. None of the other captains were as interested in the other players and the team, and the coach had to be following up with them. Here, it is the other way round.”

    Shrivastava stated he needed to construct on what this group of gamers had achieved. “This has been my first year as captain and whatever I know about leading a side is from Chandrakant sir. I would like to continue this. Doing it once was not at all easy, but it is going to be tougher to do it again.”

    Pandit has coached Mumbai and Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji titles earlier than, so who is aware of what additional glory awaits MP subsequent season.